reductionism

noun/rɪˈdʌkʃəˌnɪzəm/

Frequency rank: #19,660 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

The practice of explaining complex phenomena by breaking them down into simpler, more basic parts or principles.

Illustration for the English word “reductionism”

Example sentence

His explanation of human behavior relies on reductionism, reducing complex emotions to simple chemical reactions.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 19,601–19,700